His Six Unfogettable Days
by noteinabottle
Summary: James' six unforgettable days that lead to mistakes and life-changing decisions.


**James' point of view, eventual James/Kendall.**

James Diamond met Kendall Knight when things weren't going his way. He was being bullied mercilessly at school, and was thrown into a portable potty one day when he met Kendall. The blonde boy had opened the door of the toilet and saw the brunette curled up on the floor, hugging his knees to his chest and sobbing quietly. James doesn't remember much of what happened afterwards, except for a flurry of limbs and meeting Kendall after school who sported a fresh black eye. He sticks his hand out shyly. Kendall eyes his hand for a little while before grasping it firmly and giving it a hard shake. His hand is rough and calloused, probably from all the sports he does, and it feels warm and comforting in James' one. He nicknames this day, "Unforgettable Number One". The two boys become best friends that year and James learns hockey from Kendall, while Kendall steadfastly protects James.

The blonde-haired boy is James' Prince Charming, and the year flies by quickly with his best friend.

The two start a weekly tradition. They have a special fish-stick-Friday that is reserved only for the two of them, sometimes with the exception of Mrs. Knight. James would go over to Kendall's place and they would eat fish-sticks, and other foods that they are not allowed to even look at on a daily basis. They fight wars and relive the Jurassic periods week after week and Mrs. Knight finally decides that they're old enough to learn to make their own fish-sticks. The first batch is a disaster, ending with a burnt kitchen and two hysterical boys, but slowly they learn until Mrs. Knight could safely leave them to cook their own dinner on Fridays. It is indeed a special day for them both and they swear through mouthfuls of breadcrumbs that they would never miss a single Friday of this. They were best friends, and best friends spent Friday evenings eating fish-sticks with each other.

For as long as they had been best friends, James does not remember a single time when he had witnessed Kendall cry. Even when he got beaten up by the bigger boys in school, he simply threw a punch for a punch and grinned through his bloody mouth at James afterward. Kendall seemed infallible to James, an epitome of perfection. Someone he would never be, as much as he wanted to.

But one day Mr. Knight disappears and James asks a red-eyed Kendall what happened. He simply shakes his head and buries his face into James' new shirt and cries, hard. Normally, James would complain about how he was ruining his new shirt. But today, he just holds him and lets him cry. He later hears his parents whisper of how Kendall's dad "walked out" on their family and James scrunches up his eyebrows. Whatever that meant, he disliked it. He swore to never "walk out" on Kendall and always be by his side no matter what. They were best friends after all.

In their first year of high school, James and Kendall's friendship was still going strong. They played hockey together on the school varsity team, and everything seemed to continue as per normal, even the fish-stick-Friday tradition is continued (they secretly agree to never tell anyone). But when puberty hits, they begin to notice the girls that paid attention to them, and find love notes written in cursive female handwriting stuffed in their lockers. They were a pair of good-looking boys, so of course there would be admirers coming out to try and get them. James watches as Kendall turns each and every single girl down and he feels confused. But instead of asking why, he keeps mum about it and laughs along with Kendall at the stupidity of the football players, and play one-on-one hockey with him late after school, leaving only when the lights in the rink go off. They're still best friends despite the changes and both of them secretly hope that it remains that way forever.

And then James Diamond meets Logan Mitchell.

He meets a small, cute, amazingly smart and beautiful boy, Logan Mitchell and he falls hard for him. He befriends the smaller boy with a wide smile and tries valiantly to ignore the tingles in the pit of his stomach. He's read in books that boys feel this way for girls, so he concludes that what he's feeling is probably wrong. But he's too dizzy with excitement to care and offers him a handshake as a show of their new-found friendship despite knowing each other for less than five minutes. Logan grasps his hand shyly, blushing madly, and offers him a small smile in return. James finds that their hands fit perfectly together, and notices how nice Logan's hand feels in his.

He realises he doesn't want to let go. Understandably, James nicknames this very day "Unforgettable Number Two".

He doesn't understand any of it, these feelings. He's new to them but all he knows is that he wants to spend more time with Logan, and so he brings him to his and Kendall's fish-stick-Friday. He remembers seeing Kendall's eyes narrow at him angrily before he storms out of the house, much to his and Logan's surprise. Suddenly, James knows that a lot has changed. He looks back at Logan and sees the confusion in his eyes and feels the sudden urge to hug him and cry, because he knows that Kendall was angry with him, and this knowledge hurts worse than he expects it to.

Logan leaves early that evening, leaving James alone in his apartment, parents busying themselves in a different state. He wants to look for Kendall and make it up to him. But knowing Kendall, he was too proud to forgive anyone in such a short period of time so James gives up on the idea completely. It was the one night James ate so much junk food in such a short period of time. It was the one night that James tossed and turned in bed for exactly two hours before he fell into an uneasy sleep. It was the one night that James actually cried himself to sleep.

It was the first time that they don't have fish-stick-Friday since it was invented.

They play hockey the next day. Everything is rough and wild, Kendall slams James hard into the glass panels at the side of the rink and watches as his best friend doubles over in pain from the attack. Kendall goes up and offers a hand to the boy on the gound and James knows that they're even. They spend the rest of the evening shooting pucks into the net and skating side by side and just making up for the time they had lost the previous day. What both of them never expected, was to find Logan sitting quietly outside the rink waiting for them to come out. He shuffles nervously to them and sticks out an awkward hand for Kendall to shake. Kendall lifts his nose up in the air and takes the hand, refusing to look the smaller boy in the eyes, but James concludes from the hard look Logan has that he doesn't mind either. The three boys make their way to MacDonalds with Kendall and Logan flanking either side of James. The air is tense but not unpleasant between them and James is oblivious to everything but the two boys by his side, Kendall Knight and Logan Mitchell, and for once he thinks his life might be perfect.

A year down the road, they are still friends, and believe that their friendship is now carved in stone. Kendall and Logan have come to accept each other despite their first meeting and have become great friends. It is also during this year that Kendall suggests they bring Logan over to his place for fish-stick-Friday. The three friends chat happily as they make their way to the Knight's residence, but all chatter is cut short when they see a small Latino boy sitting at the dining table, glasses perched on his nose as he scribbles away on a piece of paper. He looks up at the three friends and flashes a shy but cheeky grin at the boys and James can't help but grin back. What he doesn't realize is that he's the only one smiling at the new boy, the other two slightly uncomfortable at the intruder. And sociable James goes forward to shake his hand, offering it the way he offered his to Kendall and Logan. This Latino is different, not hesitating as he grabs James's hand. James feels the heat radiating off the smaller boys hand, excitement evident in each enthusiastic pump.

"I'm Carlos."

And just like that they end up having Logan's and Carlos' first fish-stick-Friday. Carlos and James are chatting happily as the blonde and raven-haired boys look on suspiciously. They have so many questions to ask the Latino but James' happiness at making a new friend serves its purpose and shuts them up. The four make plans for school the next day and Kendall promises (after much pleading from James) to go past Carlos' place on their way to school. Logan then says that he would meet them at the bus-stop before going down to school together. Carlos' gaze turns into a cold glare at the raven-haired boy as the blonde stares pointedly at the Latino, while the raven-haired boy glares daggers at the blonde. The staring competition is soon forgotten however as James babbles excitedly about something along the lines of hockey and Hollywood whilst waving a fish-stick animatedly in the air. Yes, James' Hollywood dreams have already begun and his friends are all but familiar with his obsessions. They disperse when Carlos' mom comes knocking on the door, and James feels happy and contented. Maybe it was from a good meal of fish-sticks, or maybe it was from making a new friend. He suddenly feels as though his life is complete even as he steps once again into an empty, cold and dark house.

He nicknames this day "Unforgettable Number Three".

The four boys slowly form bonds and begin to understand each other better. They grow and mature as the days pass, and find themselves with each other.

Kendall Knight, aged 18. Blonde hair with dusky green eyes, fair complexion. Hockey player, brought up by a single mom. One younger sister, aged 12. Strong-willed, is considered the leader, makes most of the decisions. Loyal to a fault; would willingly take a punch for his friend. Anyone who is caught bullying any of his friends usually ends up hanging from the pole outside the high school. Girls love him for his chivalry and bad-boy image, as well as his reputation as a hockey player. Was known to have turned down almost every girl that had asked him out, but finally agreed to go with Jenny Tinkler to prom. Rumor has it that it was just to make sure the prom went smoothly and successfully without any accidents.

Logan Mitchell, aged 18. Raven-black hair with brown eyes, pale complexion. Science club member, recently quit to join hockey. Is a single-child with two doting and loving parents. Smart to the point of being a genius, constantly thinks of solutions to problems the four friends create. Shy and usually uncomfortable around strangers, tends to keep more to himself. Girls love him for his cute doe eyes and many view him as uncharacteristically handsome. Has never had a girlfriend in his entire high school life, though there were many who had tried to chat him up. He insisted that he would be going to prom alone this year, rumor has it that he plays for the other team, but it doesn't stop the admirers from making their move.

James Diamond, aged 18. Brown hair (brunette) with hazel eyes, tan complexion. Hockey player, never really had his parents around. They were constantly overseas, leaving him alone at home for long amounts of time. Single-child, doted on by his parents who bought him anything he ever wanted. Pretty boy of the group, everyone within a 5-foot radius would turn their heads when he was around. Has huge dreams to go to Hollywood and become a famous singer and make it big. Girls love him for his look and sweet nature. Has been known to turn down every girl however, with a dazzling smile and soft apologetic look. Will be going to prom alone as well, but many girls have plans to dance with him nonetheless.

Carlos Garcia, aged 18. Dark brown, near black, hair with similar chocolate eyes, olive complexion. AV club member, recently quit to join hockey. Brought up in a huge family with three brothers and two sisters, aged 29, 27, 26, 23, 20 respectively. The clown of the group, the most easy-going. Constantly puts himself into messes that had to be cleaned up by Logan and sometimes Kendall, has a helmet which he often wears to protect his head from injuries. A very physical person, can be seen in contact with his friends almost everyday in one way or another. Girls love him for his cheeky grin and fun nature. However will also be going to prom alone; he wants to enjoy the night out by himself instead of being "tied down".

And so prom comes, Kendall ends up going alone when Jenny Tinkler calls in sick. The boys sit in their tuxedos at a vacant table. Well, only three of them. James is fashionably late. He is constantly brushing his hair back nervously as he exits the cab, paying the driver and asking him to keep the change. He was sweating, not because of the heat, and he was so-so scared of walking in through those double doors that led to the school hall. His hair is stylishly slicked back with gel, and his butler had gushed that he had never looked more handsome. And now he stands in front of the school, palms sweating nervously as he shifts his weight from foot to foot. Finally, mustering all his courage, and sending a silent prayer to whatever god was looking down on him, he pushes open the doors, fixes on a winning smile, and walks confidently through the crowd, searching for his friends. Heads turn as he enters, girls swoon while guys give him friendly pats on the back. He finds his three best friends seated at a round plastic table covered with a poor excuse for a table cloth (in his opinion) and waves bashfully at the three boys. Their mouths seemed to drop to the floor as they continued to watch him take a seat before placing his head in his hands, staring thoughtfully into the distance. They all agreed that James did indeed look amazing.

They dance with each other and as a favour to some girls and enjoy the night. Bodies moving to the addictive beats of the various fast-paced club songs, and all of them leave the school hall, faces flushed red with excitement, Carlos overly hyper after having too much sugar in one sitting. They sing and harmonize in the cab home, and James offers to pay for the ride, dropping Kendall off first, followed by Carlos.

He and Logan sit side by side in the darkened cab, arms barely touching. James still likes Logan in that unexplainable way, and he can feel the high attraction evident between them. Each breath he takes seems to reverberate throughout the cab, and his heart beats at an erratic pace. He chances a glance at Logan and notices how he seemed to be watching him from the corner of his eyes as well. James gets off at Logan's place, and the two take an unhurried walk to his house.

"You looked really great today Logan."

And that's all it takes before he finds smaller hands pulling his collar down and closer to him, soft lips meeting his in a sweet but passionate kiss, unsure and tentative at first, but firm all the same. They pull apart, breathless, and James stares at the smaller boy looking back at him, chest heaving, lips full and swollen. It's his first kiss (and he later learns that it's Logan's first too). They don't say anything more as they part that evening, and James feels warm and tingly inside.

This day is "Unforgettable Number Four".

They never speak of it ever again; James knows that Kendall won't be happy to know that he shared a kiss with Logan. Logan also keeps mum about it, but glances ever-so-shyly at James from time to time. It seems as though no one notices anything, the four boys continue on with their daily lives and keep being the good friends that they are. And then they find themselves drunk for the very first time in their lives after a hockey celebration party. They are hysterical and light-headed and James doesn't remember anything except another pair of lips against his, rough and wild, searching, desperate, a flash of blonde hair and green eyes and Kendall doubled over in pain on the floor. Logan is heaving, anger tainting his face red.

"The fuck Knight? No one touches James, you hear me?"

His fist is raised mid-air, clenched tight with knuckles turning white and James watches helplessly as his fist comes down, hard, and rams straight into the blonde-haired boy's jaw. Kendall cries out in pain, eyes still defiant as he staggers to his feet, before delivering a swift blow to the raven-haired boy's face, a bruise forming along his jaw line. James watches helplessly as his two best friends continue to beat each other up, and he does the one thing he never expects himself to. He cries.

Carlos is beside him in an instant, hugging him tight and running his fingers through James' brown locks in a calming manner, shushing him quietly. The brunette clutches tightly at the Latino's shirt and cries into it. There is the sound of tires screeching on the gravel and James feels two pairs of comforting hands pulling him up. His parents just touched down in Minnesota yesterday and came to bring him back home. But although he returns home to a full family and his mom whispering comforting words into his ear, he still feels empty.

"Unforgettable Number Five".

Kendall and Logan are understandably grounded, so James spends the next few days with Carlos. The two laugh and talk about nothing in general, and James finds a best friend in the Latino boy. He's the comforting prescence around when James' father walks out on his family. He's the listening ear when James cries and tells him how much he misses the old days. He's the embrace James feels when he hears his mom crying in her room. For weeks, all he sees is Carlos, cheeky grin, olive skin, and black hair.

But James can't seem to forget it, that searing kiss which left him breathless. When he confronts Kendall, the latter simply shakes his head and tells him that it's nothing. They were both drunk and he made a mistake that he didn't intend to repeat again. He notices Logan watching them from the corner of his eyes, but can't seem to bring himself to apologize for confronting Kendall. He doesn't even know why he should apologize, but he just feels that that was what Logan wanted. Standing there was all he could do as he watched Logan and Kendall walk away, and doesn't even notice his tears until he feels a pair of arms wrap around his waist in a protective hug.

He learns that the Knights are moving to a different state.

The house is empty and cold, wind blowing through the house, sweeping the curtains up in a wild dance. James is lying face-down in a tear-soaked pillow and just barely breathing. His life was falling apart, piece by piece. The Mitchells were moving to a different state too. Somewhere far away, for Logan to attend a good University. Kendall on the other hand was accepted on a hockey scholarship to another University in a different state. James knew that even though he had Carlos, it still hurt to know that he was without the other two. Carlos doesn't go down to his place that evening. James simply lies on his bed, willing the aching hole in his chest away.

He just wants this whole fucking day to end.

He's talent spotted, by a huge recording company. He tells Carlos, who is elated for him, but James can tell that the smaller boy will miss him a lot, the way he missed Kendall and Logan when they left. But nothing was stopping him now, and Carlos was actually encouraging him to go for it; it was his dream after all. He drops by Carlos' place on the day he leaves, dropping a quick kiss on the Latino's forehead.

"Thank you."

And he waves goodbye to Minnesota and all the memories it holds, hoping against hope that life would look up in Hollywood. It does, for the first few weeks. It's all training and fame and glamour and girls, and James thinks that Los Angeles is definitely much better than Minnesota. Then he debuts, and his fan base grows and everything just seems to fall into place for him. One day he finds himself in a bar, drinking and dancing and gyrating his hips to the music. He is totally wasted, passes out on the seat at the bar, and finds himself naked in his manager's bed the next morning, said man equally naked right next to him. Bile rises up his throat and he rushes to the bathroom and vomits all his drinks and anything else in his stomach. He feels dirty, and disgusting. So he doesn't know what he's doing when he dials a familiar number on the phone, and bursts into tears at the immediate sound of his voice.

"James? James you okay?"

Kendall calls up the other two boys and they fly down to James' apartment and beat the living hell out of James' manager before bringing the traumatized boy down to the record company and demanding an explanation. There wasn't any. All they know is that one minute, they are angry and pissed and feel like killing someone, and the next, they are given free tickets for a stay at a nearby hotel. James stays with them on their first night; it's the first time in two years that all four boys are together again. They have another fish-stick-Friday. Maybe it was the feeling of protection that made him feel at home, even in the stifling heat of LA, he felt like it was Christmas or his birthday, and he couldn't and wouldn't ask for more. The four boys share a room that night.

Five years down the road, Logan is an accomplished doctor, Kendall a world-renowned hockey player, Carlos a successful stuntman and James a famous singer. Their friendship is still intact and strong as ever. There have been pressures from media and his company to get a girlfriend, so James does just that, a pretty red-head, tall and slim, but James can't seem to even remember her name. One day, she comes crying to him, and tells him that she's pregnant with his kid, and James cannot believe his ears. It's a shotgun marriage; his mom is crying, but not from happiness. He has three best men who look on sadly, and James wonders what he is going to do with his life.

They don't last long, she hates his friends, and James soon finds out that she lied to him; she was never pregnant with his child. Bickering is the only thing heard in their apartment each day, they never loved each other after all, and she merely married him for his money. He finds her naked in their bed with another man, and that's all it takes for him to sign the divorce papers. Everything is official the next month, and James walks out of court into the comforting arms of Kendall Knight, the two have another fish-stick-Friday at James' apartment; Logan is overseas while Carlos is busy filming; and just as Kendall leaves that night, James pulls the blonde towards him for a kiss, long and gentle, and James realizes just how much he misses those lips and eyes and hair. Everything after that is a blur, and James wakes up to a beautiful blonde whose arm is sealed protectively around his naked waist.

They attend Logan's wedding the next week, to a pretty brunette girl, and James feels tears in his eyes. But these are good tears. He feels genuinely happy for Logan. They meet after the beautiful procession, and Logan smiles wistfully at James.

"I loved you, you know? A lot. But I realized that you loved someone else more, and I decided that it'll be worth giving you up just to see you smile."

James can only hug the smaller boy and shake hands with his wife, before turning and linking hands with a certain blonde boy. They walk off towards the setting sun, but not before he turns and flashes a huge smile to the raven-haired boy who waves in return, wife in his embrace. Carlos is standing next to Logan, waving energetically, and yelling something James can't seem to place. He later receives a text from Carlos. "I want to be best man at your wedding."

His wedding day is named "Unforgettable Number Six".


End file.
